Estogero, Vitaliano rule PPS Cainta netfest

MANILA, Philippines -  Kidlat Estogero racked up two victories while Miles Vitaliano posted a win and a runner-up finish as they shared top honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Cainta leg regional age-group tournament at the Brookside Hills and Village East Tennis Club in Cainta last Wednesday.

The top-seeded Estogero, from Imus, Cavite, thwarted Kean Enriquez’s fightback to score a 4-0, 5-3 win in the 10-unisex finals then the duo teamed up to clobber siblings Nhielle and Vhielle Dilao, 8-0, and annex the doubles diadem in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

The unranked Vitaliano, on the other hand, pulled off a 7-6(5), 6-4 thriller over Danielle Carranza in the semis then overpowered Francesca Cruz, 6-1, 6-2, to snare the girls’ 18-and-under crown in the event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson Toby’s and B-Meg.

The Quezon City bet, however, fell short of her bid for a twinkill, dropping a 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 decision to No. 1 Mikaela Vicencio in the 16-U finals.

Other winners were Julia Ignacio, Mica Emana, Harvey Gilbuena, Elvin Geluz, Daniel Estanislao III and Luis Salvacion.

“With no player scoring two wins in singles further underscored the level playing field which makes the age-group circuit more interesting,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Ignacio rallied from a set down to repulse Emana, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8, and capture the girls’ 14-U title; Emana scored a 2-1(ret.) win over sister Kaye for the 12-U diadem; Gilbuena took the boys’ 18-U plum with a 1-0(ret.) win over Bruce Hurtado; Geluz also nailed a 1-0(ret.) victory over Miguel Vicencio for the 16-U plum; and Estanislao frustrated Miguel Vicencio, 6-2, 3-6, 10-3, for the 14-U crown.